A REVIEW ON OCCURRENCE, EXTRACTION, ISOLATION, CHEMICAL NATURE, AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF ALPHA – BETA CARATINOIDS

Jasna T. J.*, Nanditha Das P. M. and Akshaya S.

ABSTRACT

Carotenoids are 40-carbon isoprenoid molecules that produce the red, yellow, and orange pigmentation found in nature. Various plants, microalgae, bacteria, and fungi are natural sources of carotenoids and are presented. Provitamin A carotenoids (β-carotene, α-carotene, γ-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin) are essential for the development and maintenance of sight. Carotenoids are natural lipophilic pigments and antioxidants that are present in many fruits and vegetables. The consumption of carotenoids is correlated with positive health effects and a decreased risk of several chronic diseases. Carotenoids are chemically unstable and prone to oxidation in the presence of light, heat, oxygen, acids, and metal ions. The use of carotenoids in the food industry is limited due to their poor solubility in water, bioavailability and quick release. Encapsulation techniques, such as microencapsulation, Nano encapsulation and supercritical encapsulation, are used to overcome these problems. The objective of this paper is to discuss the occurrence, extraction, isolation, chemical nature, characteristic features, and health benefits of alpha – beta carotenoids are discussed here.

Keywords: alpha- beta carotene, carotenoid, extraction.